Ben Klafczynski, a 2007 Highland graduate and the Beacon Journal Baseball Player of the Year, recently won the second annual SportsTime Ohio High School Home Run derby that took place at Jacobs Field in Cleveland.

Klafczynski, a Kent State recruit, defeated Ron Stout of Medina in the final round. Ray Klafczynski provided the pitching for his son, whom beat a field of 10 players.

Mike, a 2002 graduate of Copley High School, is a rookie driver in the F2000 Championship Series, which will hold races Saturday and Sunday at Burke Lakefront Airport as part of the festivities for Champ Car's 2007 Grand Prix of Cleveland.

I have heard that the spring All-Star section is scheduled to run in this Sunday's Beacon Journal. On Sunday, there will also be a few extra All-Star items posted on this blog.

I don't want to reveal the group of spring Beacon Journal Athletes of the Year just yet. But if anyone reading this blog has any guesses as to who those athletes might be, let me know and I'll tell you if your on to something.

Klafczynski, a Kent State recruit, hit .613 with 12 home runs and 51 RBI to lead the Hornets (23-9, 11-3 in the Suburban League) to their first appearance in a regional championship game. He also recorded 18 steals in 19 attempts and scored 43 runs. As a pitcher, Klafczynski went 3-2 with a 1.97 ERA and three saves. He also struck out 23 batters in 22 innings of work.

Kent State junior Dominique Rodgers, a 2004 graduate of Copley High School, was selected Friday by the Minnesota Twins in the 36th round with the 1,105th overall pick in the 2007 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.

Rodgers, a right-hander, was a key component of the KSU bullpen for the past two seasons. In his final 14 appearances of the season, Rodgers went 4-2 with one save and an ERA of 2.48 in 36 1/3 innings of work. He had an overall record of 4-5 with a 4.11 ERA in 2007.

Canton South senior center fielder Devon Torrence was selected Friday in the Major League Baseball First-Year Play Draft by the Houston Astros in the 16th round with the 501st overall pick.

Torrence is also an Ohio State football recruit. Torrence said the contract the Astros offer him will help him decide if he will pursue professional baseball or college football. If Torrence does choose to play for the Buckeyes, he will likely play cornerback.

Senior shortstop Zack Leonard has signed with Eastern Michigan University for a full-ride scholarship for academics and athletics. Leonard earned the Federal League Player of the Year award after batting .450 this season.